II 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1620 

To enhance the security of Taiwan and bolster its participation in the 

international community, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 24, 2017 

Mr. COTTON (for himself and Mr. GARDNER) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

A BILL 

To enhance the security of Taiwan and bolster its participation in the international community, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Taiwan Security Act 

5 of 2017’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress makes the following findings: 

8 (1) Since 1949, the close relationship between 

9 the United States and Taiwan has been of enormous 

10 benefit to both parties. 

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1 (2) The security of Taiwan and its democracy 

2 are key elements for the continued peace and sta3 bility of the greater Asia-Pacific region, and the in4 definite continuation of that security is in the vital 

5 national security interests of the United States. 

6 (3) Taiwan and its diplomatic partners continue 

7 to face sustained pressure and coercion from the 

8 People’s Republic of China to isolate Taiwan from 

9 the international community. 

10 (4) The military balance of power along the 

11 Taiwan Strait continues to shift in favor of the Peo12 ple’s Republic of China, which is currently engaged 

13 in a comprehensive military modernization campaign 

14 to enhance the power-projection capabilities of the 

15 People’s Liberation Army. 

16 (5) Since the United States discontinued annual 

17 arms sales talks in 2001, defense article transfers to 

18 Taiwan have ceased to occur in a routine manner. 

19 (6) Recent delays, denials, and reductions of 

20 arms sales do not optimize the ability of Taiwan to 

21 defend its democracy against potential aggression 

22 from the People’s Republic of China. 

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1 SEC. 3. MILITARY EXCHANGES BETWEEN THE UNITED 

2 STATES AND TAIWAN. 

3 (a) MILITARY EXCHANGES BETWEEN SENIOR OFFI4 CERS AND OFFICIALS OF THE UNITED STATES AND TAI5 WAN.—The Secretary of Defense shall carry out a pro6 gram of exchanges of senior military officers and senior 

7 officials between the United States and Taiwan designed 

8 to improve military to military relations between the 

9 United States and Taiwan. 

10 (b) EXCHANGES DESCRIBED.—For the purposes of 

11 this section, an exchange is an activity, exercise, event, 

12 or observation opportunity between members of the Armed 

13 Forces and officials of the Department of Defense, on the 

14 one hand, and armed forces personnel and officials of Tai15 wan, on the other hand. 

16 (c) FOCUS OF EXCHANGES.—The exchanges under 

17 the program required by subsection (a) should include ex18 changes focused on the following: 

19 (1) Threat analysis. 

20 (2) Military doctrine. 

21 (3) Force planning. 

22 (4) Logistical support. 

23 (5) Intelligence collection and analysis. 

24 (6) Operational tactics, techniques, and proce25 dures. 

26 (7) Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. 

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1 (d) CIVIL-MILITARY AFFAIRS.—The exchanges under 

2 the program required by subsection (a) should include ac3 tivities and exercises focused on civil-military relations, in4 cluding relations between the military and parliament. 

5 (e) LOCATIONS OF EXCHANGES.—The exchanges 

6 under the program required by subsection (a) should be 

7 conducted in both the United States and Taiwan. 

8 (f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

9 (1) The term ‘‘senior military officer’’, with re10 spect to the Armed Forces, means a general or flag 

11 officer of the Armed Forces on active duty. 

12 (2) The term ‘‘senior official’’, with respect to 

13 the Department of Defense, means a civilian official 

14 of the Department of Defense at the level of Assist15 ant Secretary of Defense or above. 

16 SEC. 4. ENHANCED DIPLOMATIC CONTACTS WITH TAIWAN. 

17 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense and the 

18 Secretary of State are authorized and encouraged, to the 

19 extent consistent with law, to send to Taiwan for visits 

20 officials of the Department of Defense and the Depart21 ment of State, as applicable, at the Assistant Secretary 

22 level or above. 

23 (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con24 gress that the high-level visits authorized by subsection (a) 

25 will improve bilateral and multilateral policy coordination 

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1 between the United States and Taiwan, and enhance dia2 logue between the United States and Taiwan, to promote 

3 peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region. 

4 SEC. 5. ARMS SALES TO TAIWAN. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—The United States shall conduct 

6 regular transfers of defense articles to Taiwan in order 

7 to support the efforts of Taiwan to develop and integrate 

8 asymmetric capabilities, including undersea warfare and 

9 air defense capabilities, into its military forces. 

10 (b) ANNUAL STRATEGIC DIALOGUE ON SALES.— 

11 (1) IN GENERAL.—The United States Govern12 ment shall host senior officials of the Taiwan Min13 istry of National Defense for an annual strategic 

14 dialogue between the United States and Taiwan on 

15 arms sales in order to ensure the regular transfer of 

16 defense articles as described in subsection (a). 

17 (2) ELEMENT ON FINAL DECISION ON RE18 QUESTED TRANSFERS IN ANNUAL DIALOGUE.—Each 

19 strategic dialogue between the United States and 

20 Taiwan pursuant to this subsection shall include a 

21 presentation by United States officials to the Taiwan 

22 delegation of final decisions by the United States re23 garding the transfer of any defense articles re24 quested by Taiwan within the last fiscal year, whethmstockstill on DSK30JT082PROD with BILLS

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1 er pursuant to the Foreign Military Sales program 

2 or the Direct Commercial Sales program. 

3 SEC. 6. INVITATION OF TAIWAN MILITARY FORCES TO PAR4 TICIPATE IN CERTAIN JOINT MILITARY EXER5 CISES. 

6 The Secretary of Defense shall invite the military 

7 forces of Taiwan to participate in each of the following: 

8 (1) The 2018 Rim of the Pacific Exercise 

9 (RIMPAC). 

10 (2) One of the military exercises known as the 

11 ‘‘Red Flag’’ exercise, conducted at Eielson Air Force 

12 Base, Alaska, and Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, 

13 that is conducted during the one-year period begin14 ning on the date of the enactment of this Act. 

15 SEC. 7. NAVAL PORT OF CALL EXCHANGES BETWEEN THE 

16 UNITED STATES AND TAIWAN. 

17 The Secretary of Defense shall— 

18 (1) reestablish regular ports of call by the 

19 United States Navy in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, or in any 

20 other suitable port or ports on the island of Taiwan; 

21 and 

22 (2) permit the United States Pacific Command 

23 to receive ports of call by the navy of the Republic 

24 of China in Hawaii, Guam, or other appropriate lo25 cations. 

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1 SEC. 8. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON DEFENSE SPENDING BY 

2 TAIWAN. 

3 Congress supports the plan of Taiwan to increase its 

4 defense spending to 3 percent of gross domestic product 

5 as a necessary and prudent means for Taiwan to enhance 

6 its military readiness and to more effectively provide for 

7 the defense of its citizens. 

8 SEC. 9. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON TAIWAN AND NORTH 

9 KOREA. 

10 Congress supports the continued efforts of Taiwan to 

11 suspend all economic ties with North Korea, as well as 

12 the cooperation of Taiwan with the United States to 

13 achieve the peaceful denuclearization of North Korea. 

Æ 

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